President Biden on Friday finalized the color scheme for the new iteration of Air Force One, the U.S. Air Force announced. The next version of the presidential plane will keep the same basic livery as the current aircraft, with a few minor tweaks.
In a press release, the Air Force said that the design for the upcoming VC-25B, a customized Boeing 747-8 that is slated to begin serving as Air Force One in the late 2020s, will have "three primary differences" from the current livery. This includes a light blue base with a slightly "deeper, more modern tone" and a darker blue around the cockpit. The polished metal section seen on the current Air Force One will also be done away with, as "modern commercial aircraft skin alloys don't allow for it."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Biden's decision to keep the current livery, which dates back to the Kennedy administration, does away with a previous choice made by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Trump had selected a darker red, white, and blue color scheme for the new plane, but the Biden administration made it clear upon taking office that they would do away with this palette.
The Air Force said the dark blue in Trump's livery would have required additional testing "due to the added heat in certain environments," and would have also raised operational costs.
-
Spiralism is the new cult AI users are falling intoUnder the radar Technology is taking a turn
-
Can for-profit geoengineering put a pause on climate change?In the Spotlight Stardust Solutions wants to dim the sun. Scientists are worried.
-
Sudoku medium: November 25, 2025The daily medium sudoku puzzle from The Week
-
Tariffs: Will Trump’s reversal lower prices?Feature Retailers may not pass on the savings from tariff reductions to consumers
-
Trump: Is he losing control of MAGA?Feature We may be seeing the ‘first meaningful right-wing rebellion against autocracy of this era’
-
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein: a TimelineIN DEPTH The alleged relationship between deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump has become one of the most acute threats to the president’s power
-
Why is Donald Trump suddenly interested in Sudan?Today's Big Question A push from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince helped
-
US government shutdown: why the Democrats ‘caved’In the Spotlight The recent stalemate in Congress could soon be ‘overshadowed by more enduring public perceptions’
-
‘The issue isn’t talent but moral guidance’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
